Saturday, September 13, 2008

good people around me.

M. has got to be my oldest friend. BY that, I mean she just turned 64 this past Wednesday! We met about two years ago when I was teaching poetry workshops to seniors in my hometown, and she was one of the students who was most excited about being there to write! Since then, she's been terribly supportive of my artistic endeavors (even went to my one woman show,) and has been a necessary source of support through the challenges presented by our hearts and homes.

This is the woman who at 62 acquired her M-class license and rode a Harley to some big annual Hell's Angels national get together in one of the Great Lake states. From New Jersey. That kinda wowed me. Also, given the restraints of being a queer (and OUT!) woman of color through the Civil Rights Movement and her time with a precinct in an NYC borough, M has developed some straight up gumption. I love her for it!

I can't wait to live her life when I am that age. She understands the power of intention, and is just very committed to her own physical and emotional health. Sure, I can do it now. But I honor the idea of paying dues. She swears I'm one of the people in her life who keep her young, and in turn, she reminds me of what is right. I really appreciate having her in my life, and I can't imagine never having known known her; a direct result of not deciding to move back home when I did.

We're going to try to meet monthly for eats now, just to keep in touch. It'd been a little more than a year since I'd seen her last. She's in the middle of courting this beautiful woman, so I hope I have better love stories by then to throw into the swap.

She also recommended that I read some Dylan Thomas, this poem specifically. I just might.